Rotterdam is looking for the names of 400 bomb victims

The Rotterdam City Archives is looking for about 400 names of people who died in the German bombing of Rotterdam on May 14, 1940.

The list of victims now contains 450 names, while the bombing claimed more than 850 lives. Many names are missing because injured people were also taken to hospitals outside of Rotterdam. If they died there, their death was reported in that place.

The city archives are calling on the help of next of kin to complete the list. Who knows that a family member died in the bombing can report this via an email address ([email protected]) stating name and date of birth.

The bombing in the afternoon of May 14, 1940 lasted less than 15 minutes and destroyed the city center. The ensuing fire continued for days. When the Germans threatened to bombard Utrecht as well, the Netherlands capitulated.

Commemoration for invited guests

This afternoon there is a commemoration at the statue De Verwoeste Stad on Plein 1940. Because of the corona measures, the municipality of Rotterdam asks to commemorate at home and to follow the ceremony via TV Rijnmond or rijnmond.nl. The commemoration is only open to invited guests. Mayor Aboutaleb and outgoing minister De Jonge, among others, will give a speech.

Relatives of Gerrit van Ommering are also present. Sergeant Major Van Ommering crossed the Maas bridges with a white flag after the bombing. He accompanied the commander of the troops in Rotterdam, Colonel Scharroo, who was going to surrender the city.

In the Laurenskerk, children read the names of eleven young victims. City archivist Jantje Steenhuis would find it “a nice tribute” if a complete list of names could be read out next year.

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